Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-11
HOW TO ADDRESS THE PRESIDENT.
Simply, 1.-The President" and Not His Ex-
cellency, or Even an Honorable.


intelligence that hardly one person in a
hundred writing to the President en-
ploys his proper form of address. OF the
100000 of people in the United States
who know how TO write, it is safe to say
that not one in thousand can super
scribe a letter TO their chief executive
correctly. "His Excellency" is the ia
vorite title used among educated and cul-
tivated persons and politicians. This IL
tie is authorized in some states as appli-
/ cable TO the Chief executive Of their sub
ordinate sovereigIties Of the ration, aud
is always safe form Of address of q di-
plOmatiC minister, irrespective Of IA
| tiOnality.
Another improper form commonly used
is honorable" The title "ho Orable''
/ is a subordinate one, and the lowest in
the scale Of titles IF rank in foreign coun-
tries. In the United States it is applied
to elective officers, Senator's and Rspre-
sentatives, below that of Vice iGeut,
or to officials holding office by appoint
ment from the President and confirmation
by the Senate. Il also applies to COVER
nOr's Of states, judges of courts and
mayors of cities. It's abuse is its pro-
miScuOuS application to state legislators
! anu OIuSlS LOb III udblOLdL OllLC " NulSl
Office in states. Still another improper
address Is ''Prcsident" with the name of
the incumbent.
The title Of the President was one of
the earliest subjects Of controversy, both
III the convention of 1877, among the
/ trainers Of the constitution, and in 1889,
! in the first Congress, which established
many OF the official and social precedents
which were coincident with the setting in
motion of the machinery OF the new gov
eminent. In the constitutional conven-
! ton the subject was deliberately dis
cussed. A strong party, charged with
monarchiCal tendencies, favored some
! style of additional title for the CHIEF exec
/ utive officer of the nation, on the ground
Of international as Well as ceremonial
considerations. The majority, however,
/ favored cutting entirely loose from every
appearance of imitation Of the forms Of
the nations of the Old world. This gave
rise to the provision in the constitution
that ono title OF nobility shall be granted
by the United States"
The struggles over the fixing Of the title
of the President are unique in the light of
modern views on such subjects. But two
days after the organization Of Congress
and the installation of John Adams as
NiCe-President and President Of the Sen
ate that tunctiOnary gave that body a
vigorous lecture OF the necessity and pro
priety of titles. Mr.. Adams, having passed
a long time at the most brilliant courts of
Europe as Diplomatic Minister, had com
pletely OutgroWn his PuritaniC instincts
of lack of reverence for established Gus
toms and practices political and religious,
among naIiOns and men. Having stirred
up the Republican sentiments Of the Sen
ate in making his Interest in titles known,
he became involved in preliminary Skin
mish with the House of Representatives
on question Of the proper title for him
to use IN addressing en- Official COmmuni-
cation to their Speaker. Having asked
whether he should apply the prefix "hon-
Orable," the House administered
prompt and decided negative, preferriug
the simple, unblemished official title of
their presiding officer, viz: The Speaker
Of the House Of Representatives
a committee Oh the title of the Presi-
dent, at the ins.igatiOn of the aristogcatic
party of the Sera.e, having oeen appoint
ed il both houses the subject gave rise
to parliamentary battle, which some
times grew rather too threatening to be
interesting. The New England states,
Virginia and South Carolina Senators
were the most active Champions Of high
sounding title. Senatot Ellsworth Of
Connecticut claimed thst all the world,
civilized and savage, called for titles
ever since society was organized. The
simple title, "The President, he thought,
sounded too much like the presiding off
Ger of a cricket club or fire company
ellis eXcellenCy" was proposed, but
Withdrawn, and "HighnesS" substituted,
with some predatory word ike "Elective,"
as ellis Elective Highness George Wash
ingtOn, President of the United States,"
claiming that such digni1ied title would
add weight and authority 20 the Office at
home and abroad. The champions Of
titles went over the whole list Of the
princes and potentates of the earth in
support of the title "highness " This
was antagonized as beneath the dignity
Of the elective ruler Of the United Sta .es,
on the ground that the grand Turk had
it, that all the princes of Germany and
sons and daug hteTs OF Gro Wned heads had
it; therefore it was degrading to the
President of the United States to place
him on par with princes of any blood
in Europe. The committee finally re-
ported to the Senate as the title Ct the
President: ellis Highness the President
Of the United States of America and Pro- /
tector Of the Rights Of TIE Same"
When this high-hoWn official desigua- I
ton reached The House the ContendiDg
champions became 50 heated in their re
marks that q rupture was threatened. /
The anti-titIe advocates insisted that tie |
called him "The President of .
the United States" and, therefore, that .
was his title. The Wags of the two houses
nagged their opponents by addressing
them "YoUr HighnesS OF the Senate"
ellis Highness of the Lower House"
This extraordinary discussion con-
sumed three weeks of the opening DELHI
erations of the First Congress OF the
United States, On the floor and in
committee. at length the o6duracy
OF the House, in support of re-
publican simplicity and popular sOver-
eighty in ii les, as IN governmental forms,
the conference committee, to
which the matter was finally referred, to
report their inability to agree. The Sen j
ate committee having decided not TO ad-
dress the President as "His eXcellenCy," t
made final reCCmmen latiOn Of tile as ]
His Highness, the President of the l
United States of America and Protector 7
If Their Liberties" The Senate, seeing
nat their effort to make rhe President q
titled parsonage in violation of the con-
'titution was getting too serious, voted ;
o postpone the further consideration Of
he question. The following report,
which gave expression 10 the views Of ,
he Senate, was then Ggreed to;
From decent respect for the opinion
nd practice of civilized nations, whether
nder monarChlcal or republican forms t